


Nonsense

by m0rkl



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Allen likes food, Link likes to bake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 19:17:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7374139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m0rkl/pseuds/m0rkl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Burnt cookies are one of the things Howard Link hates the most. It seems petty, but it’s a waste of time and resources. He hates throwing away food. So does Allen Walker. Sugar cookies aren’t supposed to be that shade of brown, but the young exorcist doesn’t seem to care as he downs the cookie in two big bites.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nonsense

**Author's Note:**

> We interrupt your regularly scheduled Hallow Countdown for this slight Linkllen one shot

            Burnt cookies are one of the things Howard Link hates the most. It seems petty, but it’s a waste of time and resources. He hates throwing away food. So does Allen Walker.

            “They don’t look so bad.” Allen smiles as he picks of one of the dark brown, near black cookies. Sugar cookies aren’t supposed to be that color. But the young exorcist doesn’t seem to care as he downs the cookie in two big bites. Link raises an eyebrow at him.

            “That’s disgusting.” Usually he’s incredibly precise when it comes to baking, but he may have lost track of time scolding Walker about his carelessness on this last mission. Allen shrugs and takes another cookie. The blond man frowns, but is secretly glad that the food won’t go to waste. A few days later, they’re in the dining hall and the junior Bookman is vocalizing his dislike for spicy foods.

            “It’s terrible! Why would you purposefully put things on food to make it painful to eat?” The redheaded man throws his hands in the air as he speaks. Lenalee is chuckling, Kanda is scowling and Allen is minding his own business, digging into his mountain of food. “Allen, you agree right? Too spicy food is totally wrong!”

            “You never let the meat cool when you’re eating yakiniku, isn’t that the same premise?” Allen said through a mouthful of food. How anyone managed to understand him, Link would never know.

            “It’s not the same!”

            “Yes it is!” The two yell back and forth, causing the entire rooms attention to be drawn towards them. Finally Kanda points mugen at both of them and threatens to shave them bald if they don’t shut up. Lenalee just continues to laugh at them all. Lavi takes this moment to retreat, claiming that Bookman will have his ass if he doesn’t get back to work and Kanda leaves without a word. Once Lenalee departs to bring coffee to the science department, Allen and Link are left on their own while Allen finishes his second helping. “What about you Link?”

            “Hm?” He doesn’t look up from the report he’s working on.

            “Do you like spicy foods?”

            “No, not particularly. But I don’t dislike them either.” He grew up accustom to few and far between meals consisting of whatever they could find, usually partially moldy bread.

            “I don’t mind spicy things, but it doesn’t make much of a difference to me.” Allen says before finishing off his tray. All that’s left is a pile of mitirashi dango, which he eats with reverence that the rest of his food rarely gets. Link wonders how Allen even tastes anything with the way he eats. He downs everything at once, without regards as to what flavor goes with what. The only reason Link notices is because of his own love for baking. He makes his own recipes after all. He thinks back to the burnt cookies, which he actually attempted to eat. They were bitter, burnt and completely inedible. Link doesn’t know how Allen managed to get them down. And then something dawns on him.

            The next day, they’re in the kitchen baking again. It’s about the only way Link can get Allen to sit down and do his paperwork. This time he’s making bibingka, a recipe he picked up when he once went on a mission to the Philippines. It’s similar to mochi in texture, but Link is making some edits to the flavor for an... experiment of sorts.

            When its done, he cuts a piece for Allen, like he always does and goes to clean up the kitchen. From the counter, he watches Allen jab the bibingka with a fork a few times before taking a big bite. Link searches Allen’s for a reaction. He anticipates disgust or shock, but it doesn’t come. Instead a big grin comes of the boy’s face and his eyes light up.

            “Is it sweet enough?” Link asks casually. He’s a good liar. “I wasn’t sure if the recipe had the right amount listed.”

            “No, it’s perfect! It’s very sweet and I love it!” Allen’s bright smile and fervent nodding makes Link feel rather guilty. Instead of the allotted amount of sugar, he added the same amount of salt. He knew it would make the cake-like desert completely inedible, but that was the point. There’s no sugar in it at all, but Allen can’t tell. He has no sense of taste.

            The inspector has heard of this before. Ageusia, the loss of ability to taste, can be caused by a variety of things, mostly old age, brain trauma and psychological trauma. It’s clearly not age, seeing as the boy isn’t even 17 yet. That leaves brain or psychological trauma. Both are likely with the life this young exorcist leads. Walker doesn’t seem to have a problem with his sense of smell; the way he goes bolting towards the smell of food is enough evidence of that. If he can’t sense sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or umami that means he’s relying on smell and texture when he eats.

            No wonder mitirashi dango is his favorite food. He must like the texture. Now that he thinks about it, Allen eats foods with a variety of textures and often stays away from things like broth soups.

            Link doesn’t know what to do about this discovery. It’s nothing important enough to report to Leveiler and he doesn’t think Allen would be very please to know that Link saw through his lie. So he stays silent and tells himself that he’ll need to ask Jeryy about recipes with interesting textures and strong scents.

**Author's Note:**

> So I burnt cookies today and cried a little as I ate them anyways... Then this came to mind so yeah


End file.
